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ACM SIG Bylaws: SIGSAM

BYLAWS
of the
Special Interest Group
SYMBOLIC AND ALGEBRAIC MANIPULATION
of the
Association for Computing Machinery

As revised 1995

Article 1. Name and Scope.

These bylaws define the purposes and policies of the
Special Interest Group on Symbolic and Algebraic Manipulation
("SIGSAM"); the authority of the SIGSAM Executive Committee ("the
Executive Committee"), the authority of the SIG Board ("the Board"),
the Association of Computer Machinery ("the ACM").

The scope of SIGSAM's specialty is the design of
algorithms and systems for symbolic and algebraic computation and the
use of such systems in different application areas.

Article 2. Purpose.

Collecting and disseminating information in the
specialty, through a newsletter and other publications approved by the
Publications Board;

Organizing sessions at conferences of the ACM or other relevant societies or organizations;

Sponsoring conferences, symposia, and workshops;

Organizing working groups for education, research and development;

Serving as a source of technical information for the ACM Council and subunits of the ACM;

Serving as an external technical representative of the ACM when authorized by the Executive Committee of the ACM Council; and

Working with subunits of the ACM on technical interest activities such as professional development seminars or lectureships.

Article 3. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges.

SIGSAM is an open SIG as defined in Section 6 of Bylaw 6.

A person becomes a member only after enrolling and paying
the required dues. The dues for SIGSAM are determined by the SIGSAM
Executive Committee with the approval of the Chairman of the SIG Board.
In addition to the SIG dues, the non-ACM members of the SIG will be
assessed annually a surcharge equal to 1/3 the dues set for membership
in the ACM, rounded to the next highest dollar. Any fees for activities
and services must be lower for members of the ACM.

All members of SIGSAM may vote in any ballot conducted
with SIGSAM. On any ballot, the votes cast by non-ACM members of SIGSAM
will, if necessary, be prorated downward so that their effective total
cannot exceed 50% of the eligible vote.

Article 4. The Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee comprises the officers, the
Past Chairman and the Editor of SIGSAM's newsletter. No person may hold
two positions on the Executive Committee.

The general duties of the Executive Committee will be to
advise the Chairman on all matters of interest to SIGSAM. Specific
duties or responsibilities may be specified in these Bylaws or assigned
by the Chairman. All the major management policy decisions of SIGSAM
must be approved by the Executive Committee.

All members of, or candidates for, the Executive Committee must be voting members of ACM and of the SIG.

Article 5. Officers.

The officers are the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman and the Treasurer.

The Chairman is the principal officer and is responsible
for leading SIGSAM and managing its activities. The duties of the
Chairman are:

Calling and presiding at meetings of the Executive Committee and at meetings sponsored by SIGSAM;

Appointing all standing and ad hoc committees;

Making all appointments and filling vacancies as authorized herein;

Conducting SIGSAM'S activities in accordance with the policies of the ACM;

Filing reports about SIGSAM as required by the SIG Board. These include:

An annual report, due as specified by the Board, on the activities of SIGSAM during the previous year;

All reports required by the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM; and

Closing reports on conferences and symposia (co)sponsored by SIGSAM, as required by the ACM.

The duties of the Vice-Chairman include:

Presiding at meetings in the absence of the Chairman;

Assuming the duties of the Chairman's resignation or incapacity.

The duties for the Secretary include:

Maintaining the roster of members of SIGSAM;

Keeping minutes of business meetings of SIGSAM and of the Executive Committee;

Maintaining records and correspondence of SIGSAM;

Notifying members of the Executive Committee of the time, place and agenda of the Executive Committee meetings;

Sending official notification (2 copies) to the Board's Chairman of changes in the elected officers of SIGSAM;

Filing other such reports as required by the ACM.

The duties of the Treasurer include:

Supervising the financial affairs of SIGSAM,

Receiving, holding and disbursing SIGSAM funds,

Maintaining and reporting financial records of SIGSAM,

Managing SIGSAM's finances according to the Financial Accountability
Policy of the ACM. This includes preparing the annual budget,
monitoring SIGSAM's disbursements for adherence to the annual budget
and preparing financial reports as required.

The officers shall be elected by members of SIGSAM to
terms of office of two years, beginning July 1 of odd-numbered years.
Any officer may be re-elected.

All officers and candidates for officers must be members of class (1) [see Article 3 (a)].

Article 6. Election of Officers.

By September 30 of each even-numbered year if the SIG
Board has not exercised its option to extend the term of SIGSAM's
current officers for an additional two years, the Chairman will appoint
a nominating committee which will propose at least two consenting
candidates for each elective office of SIGSAM. The slate of candidates
elected by the nominating committee must be presented to all SIGSAM's
members by the following January 31.

A petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGSAM will
place other consenting candidates on the ballot. Petitions must be
received by the Secretary-Treasurer of SIGSAM no later than March 15.

The election committee shall count the ballots and inform
all members of the Executive Committee of election results no later
than April 1 of each odd-numbered year.

Article 7. Vacancies and Appointments.

Should the Chairman leave office before his term
expires, the Vice-Chairman will assume the duties of Chairman. Should
any other office or the position on the Executive Committee reserved
for the Past Chairman of SIGSAM become vacant, the Chairman of the SIG
Board may, on nomination of the Chairman of SIGSAM, fill the vacancy.
The Chairman may fill vacancies in offices he has appointed according
to the procedures for making the original appointments as provided
herein.

Should a vacancy be unfilled, either because of
inadequacy of these bylaws or because of a dispute or for any other
reason, the SIG Board may fill it (as provided in Bylaw 6 of the ACM).

All appointments expire automatically when the Chairman's
term of office expires. Appointees, however, will continue to serve
until a successor has been appointed by the new Chairman.

Article 8. Meetings.

SIGSAM will conduct at least one business meeting each year. All
meetings sponsored by SIGSAM must be open to all members of the ACM.
SIGSAM may hold meetings only in places that are open to all classes of
members of the ACM.

Article 9. Publications.

SIGSAM will publish a newsletter at regular intervals
as determined by the Executive Committee. The newsletter will be
distributed to all members. Newsletter subscriptions may be sold to
non-members at a price determined by the Executive Committee.

The Chairman shall appoint a newsletter Editor for a term of two years ending in June of each odd-numbered year.

With the advice of the other officers, the Chairman will
appoint the Editor of the newsletter, who will become a member of
SIGSAM's Executive Committee.

Article 10. Amendments.

These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the
ACM Executive Committee, or by a vote of SIGSAM's members as provided
below. With the approval of SIGSAM's Executive Committee and of the
Executive Committee of the ACM, 2/3 of all the members of the SIG Board
may amend Article 1 of these bylaws without a referendum of the members.

Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by SIGSAM's
Executive Committee, the SIG Board, or a petition from 1% of the voting
members of SIGSAM. All proposed amendments must be approved prior to
being submitted for a vote of the membership, by the Chairman of both
the SIG Board and the Constitution and Bylaws of ACM after the
Executive Director of ACM has provided his advice.

The ballot on the proposed amendment(s) will be conducted
among the eligible voters by ACM Headquarters following the procedures
of the ACM for voting bylaw amendments, unless a different procedure
has been approved by the SIG Board. The proposal is adopted only if at
least 2/3 of the effective votes of returned ballots approve it, and
only if at least 1/4 of the ballots are returned. The
Secretary-Treasurer will send a clean copy of the amended bylaws to the
Executive Director of ACM and to the Chairman of the SIG Board.

Article 11. Finance.

The responsibility for collecting, holding and
disbursing funds is delegated to SIGSAM under the terms of a Financial
Accountability Policy agreed upon by the Board and the Executive
Committee of the ACM. Should there be disagreement on the
interpretation of such a policy, the interpretation of the Executive
Committee of the ACM will prevail unless changed by the ACM Council.

Funds of SIGSAM are the property of the ACM.

SIGSAM will be financially self-supporting in accordance
with the Financial Accountability Policy. SIGSAM collective
retained-earnings, beyond the required retained-earnings reserves, may
be used for non-SIGSAM ACM activities only with approval of both the
Board and the Executive Committee of the ACM, or of 2/3 of all members
of the ACM Council.

Article 12. Dissolution.

SIGSAM will exist until dissolved by the Council of the ACM as provided in Bylaw 6 of the ACM.

Should the group be dissolved, control of its assets will revert to the ACM.

Article 13. Consistency.

The Constitution, Bylaws and policies of the ACM and of the SIG Board
take precedence over any conflicting provisions of these bylaws or
internal policies of SIGSAM.